Shoulder support for violins and the like



Jam 17, 1967 v w, w wHlTE 3,298,269

SHOULDER SUPPORT FOR VIOLINS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 22, 1965 2 Sheets$heet 1 IN VEN TOR.

Jan. 17, 1967 w. w, WHITE I v SHOULDER SUPPORT FOR VIOLINS AND THE LIKE Fi led Sept. 22, 1965 2 Sheqts-$heet 2 IN VEN TOR. %a/,74/ W/V/wrf firraeM /s United States Patent 3,228,269 SHOULDER SUPPORT FUR VIOLINS AND THE LHKE William Walker White, 412 E. 7th Ave., Escondido, Calif. 92025 Filed Sept. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 489,244 1 Claim. (Cl. 84278) The present invention relates to a new and improved instrument support for violins and the like, and more particularly relates to an instrument support that is adapted to be folded up Without having to be taken apart to place the instrument support and the violin in the instrument case. The invention relates to the use of a new apparatus that is adapted to be folded up and is also adapted to be used with present types of chin rests, and in which the device is integral with the musical instrument, as well as being adapted to be modified for the user, as the physical characteristics of the chin and shoulder of the user change during advancement of the age of the user.

The component parts of the apparatus comprise a spring and some components made of plastic material. As adjustment is required in the component parts, the plastic materials may be heated by an electric light bulb, or the like, and thus molded into the newly desired position to suit the individual player.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved instrument support which is useful by a young beginner student and may be adjusted to suit his use as he grows to adulthood so that the same instrument support may be used throughout the lifetime of the user.

A further object of the present invention is to provide members or assembled component parts which are clamped beneath the rear of the instrument by a clamp used for the usual type of chin rests, and also to provide a component part which is referred to herein as a right fork to cooperate with a member also referred to as a fork so that there are a right and a left fork. These forks are joined by means of a hinge or pin means, and with a fiat spring, the hinge is locked in place when the violin is being played.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shOWs an end view of a violin showing the shoulder support for the violin, or the like, disposed in place in which the shoulder support is adapted to be rested upon the players body while playing the violin, in accordance with a preferred and best mode of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken from the opposite side of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a violin 10, or the like, having a clamp 12 disposed at an end to be inserted in and about the chin and shoulders of the player, and comprising a set of screws or bolts 14, 16, 18. Each of the ends of the bolts is secured to a clamp plate 20, 22, so that clamp plate 20 is on an upper surface of the violin 10, and clamp plate 22 is disposed and in contact with the lower surface of the violin.

A chin rest 26 is adapted to be secured by threaded Patented Jan. 17, 1967 engagement with the bolt 16 by adjustment of the nut 28 on the bolt 16 so that the chin rest 26 is firmly disposed and mounted from the support plate 20 by means of bolt 16 and the compression or tension provided by bolt 28.

From the lower support plate 22, there is disposed a hinge and pin assembly 32 that is parallel with the under surface of the violin and is parallel with the overall dimension of the support plate 22 so that there is mounted from the hinge and pin assembly 32, for pivotal movement from the hinge so that it swivels forward and backward, a right shoulder arm 36 having at its free or distal end a foam rubber cushion 38. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the arrangement in its open and useful position, including also a left pivotal arm 49 which is mounted from a pin assembly 42, as particularly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, among others. The distal end of the left arm 40 is provided with a hook or clamp projection 46 that is disposed to support and cooperate with the right arm 36, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When it is sought to adjust and to store the violin in a case, the shoulder support apparatus of the present invention is capable of being collapsed for such storage in the violin case (not shown) by the arm 40 being pivotal about its pin assembly 42 in the direction of the arrow 46, shown in FIG. 3, and to the position shown toward the right of the figure in FIG. 3, and as shown in FIG. 5, the left arm is disposed under and generally parallel to the bottom surface of the violin 10.

The right arm 36 is capable of being folded under the violin 10 by being pivotal around the hinge and pin assembly 22, so that it is disposed or pivoted from the position shown in FIG. 1 to that shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. FIG. 4 shows the manner in which the right arm 36 and the left arm 40 are disposed in their open position extending downwardly from a vertical or perpendicular direction from the bottom of the violin 10, so that the shoulder support is capable of supporting the violin 10 off and above the shoulder and between the chin, which is applied to the chin rest 26. FIG. 5 shows the manner in which each of these left and right arms 36, 40, respectively, is capable of and adapted to being folded out and under the violin 10 so that the violin is easily capable of being inserted and stored into a violin case.

Additional embodiments of the invention in this specification will occur to others and therefore it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the appended claim and not by the embodiment described herein-above. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claim in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A shoulder support for violins and the like comprising a clamp having a pair of end members for being secured to an edge of a violin or the like, a chin rest mounted from one of the end members, a shoulder support mounted from the other of the end members, said support having a right arm pivotable from a hinge having its pin mounted transverse of the length of the clamp, a left arm pivotable from a pin at a point on the end of said hinge and said pin being disposed in a direction perpendicular of said hinge pin, the right arm and the left arm being integrally collapsible for storage in a violin case, the right and left arms are pivotable about one of the end members for facilitating stowage of the violin in a case, and the right arm and the left arm are foldable into a position substantially parallel to and generally in contact with an under surface of a violin.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED 7 FOREIGN PATENTS STATES PATENTS 227,461 10/1910 Germany;

28,063 7/1921 Denmark, Bolmann 5 470,562 1/1929 Germany. IIIIII: 24478 RICHARD D. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. Bisharat 84-280 C. M. OVERBEY, Assistamf Examiner. 

